They were childhood buddies, best men at each others’ weddings and the wealthy
scions of two of Australia’s best known media families.

Yet that counted for nothing when James Packer, the country’s third richest
man, squared up to David Gyngell, the head of its largest commercial
television network, outside his Bondi Beach apartment in Sydney.

The pair traded punches in a prolonged street brawl that left Mr Packer with a
black eye and apparently missing several teeth, Mr Gyngell bruised and
dishevelled, and Australia agog at what could have caused such mayhem.